_The Confutatio Pontificia:
         In Reference To The Matters Presented To His Imperial Majesty
          By The Elector Of Saxony And Some Princes And States Of The
            Holy Roman Empire, On The Subject And Concerning Causes
           Pertaining To The Christian Orthodox Faith, The Following
                Christian Reply Can Be Given._ August 3, 1530.
                              Edited by J.M. Reu.
                                 Published in
              _The Augsburg Confession, A Collection of Sources._
     (Fort Wayne, IN: Concordia Theological Seminary Press), pp. 349-383.


                                To Article VII.

 The seventh article of the Confession, wherein it is affirmed that the Church
 is the congregation of saints, cannot be admitted without prejudice to faith
 if by this definition the wicked and sinners be separated from the Church. For
 in the Council of Constance this article was condemned among the articles of
 John Huss of cursed memory, and it plainly contradicts the Gospel. For there
 we read that John the Baptist compared the Church to a threshing-floor, which
 Christ will cleanse with his fan, and will gather the wheat into his garner,
 but will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire, Matt. 3:12. Wherefore this
 article of the Confession is in no way accepted. although we read in it their
 confession that the Church is perpetual, since here the promise of Christ has
 its place, who promises that the Spirit of truth will abide with it forever
 John 14:16. And Christ himself promises that he will be with the church alway
 unto the end of the world. They are praised also, in that they do not regard
 variety of rites as separating unity of faith, if they speak of special rites.
 For to this effect Jerome says: ÒEvery province abounds in its own sense" (of
 propriety). But if they extend this part of the Confession to universal Church
 rites, this also must be utterly rejected, and we must say with St. Paul: "We
 have no such custom," 1 Cor. 11:16. "For by all believers universal rites must
 be observed," St. Augustine, whose testimony they also use, well taught of
 Januarius; for we must presume that such rites were transmitted from the
 apostles.

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